Raindrops
by piscesclio
Summary: I guess it takes place in between sesons 2 and 3 pj
1. Prologue

Pacey shoved his hands deep in his pockets and continued on his way down the street. Dark storm clouds had taken over the sky and thunder gave warning to the storm that was going to hit in just a few minutes. Pacey didn't care if it was a hurricane, he still wasn't going home.  
  
It hadn't even been an hour since he had walked out of his house, furious with his father yet again. He didn't even know what had set his father off this time. The only clear words that made it out of John Witter's mouth were stupid, loser, town screw up, or disgrace to the family name. All things Pacey had heard a million times before so he really didn't pay much attention to it until his father through the first punch. Pacey's hand went to the cut on his forehead that was now bleeding, leaving a red line oozing down the middle of his face. No, he was definitely not going home. Not this time.  
  
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Joey heard the thunder roll off the waves and shuddered. It was going to be a bad storm and she should have started home a while ago, but she didn't want to go home.  
  
Bessie and Bodie were in the biggest fight of the century, Alexander never stopped testing out his newfound screaming capabilities, and her father was there. Just what did she have to look forward to at home? Sticking her hands deep in her pockets, she continued to walk down the street.  
  
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Standing at the foot of the ladder Pacey began to have second thoughts. He knew neither Dawson nor his parents were home for the week. The house was completely empty. Nobody would know if he just stayed for a little while, just for the night. Pacey knew the window would be unlocked. Still, he didn't feel quite right about staying without permission.  
  
With a loud crack of thunder the rain began to come down and Pacey no longer cared if it was wrong. He climbed the ladder without further hesitation and entered the house through Dawson's unlocked window.  
  
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Listening to the rain, Joey made her way back up to Dawson's room. She felt kind of wrong for being there but Gayle had given her a key for specifically that reason. 


	2. Assessing Injuries

Joey opened the door to Dawson's room and let out a shriek. Somebody was crawling through Dawson's window.  
  
Pacey fell backwards through the window, startled by the shrill sound that pierced his ears. At first he thought he had accidentally stumbled upon the wrong house., but then he saw her. "Damn, Jo. Wake the neighborhood, will ya."  
  
"Pacey?" she said, uncurling her fingers from around the baseball bat that she had grabbed after her initial shock.  
  
"Yeah, Pacey. Who did you think it was?" she shrugged as he picked himself off the floor.  
  
"What? You wouldn't be a tad surprised if you saw some strange guy crawling through your window?" It wasn't like she screamed that loud anyway.  
  
"One, its not your window. And two, you were more than just a tad surprised. You practically busted my eardrums. And three, no, I wouldn't be scared. I'd just sock the guy." He stated with too much confidence.  
  
"Aren't you glad I didn't take that approach." She said dryly  
  
"It wouldn't have mattered. You don't hit very hard."  
  
Joey was about to make a retort when she finally took in his appearance. He was soaked to the bone from being caught in the downpour. Pacey's right fist was swollen and bruised, and to top that off there was a steady stream of blood running down his forehead.  
  
"Pacey, what happened to you?" she asked, genuinely concerned.  
  
For the first time since he had left his house Pacey remembered his injuries. Without saying more to her he walked out of the room and into the bathroom to take care of the blood.  
  
Pacey didn't want Joey to see him like this, after a fight with his father. They had known each other since first grade and she never had, no one ever had. Sure, some people had suspected once or twice over the years, but Pacey had done his best to discourage thoughts like that. It was a small town and nobody wanted to think that John Witter, upstanding town sheriff, could possible do something like this or worse. Especially to his own kid.  
  
There was a knock on the door and Pacey opened it to find Joey standing there with a bundle of clothes in her arms. "I thought you might wanna change out of those wet clothes."  
  
He nodded and silently took the clothes shutting the door without speaking.  
  
Joey stood in the hallway, not quite sure of what to do. It wasn't the first time she had seen Pacey so hurt, even if he thought it was.  
  
Once when they were ten he had left something at school and she'd went to return it to him. Joey had walked up the porch and rang the doorbell but nobody answered so she went around back and looked in the window, just in time to see Pacey get backhanded by his father. She left his stuff on the back steps and ran all the way home. At the time she'd had every intention of telling someone but before she even got home she started thinking about it. She had to let Pacey come to her. He wouldn't appreciate her butting in. In fact, he would probably have denied it. Pacey never brought it up, ever. She never said anything to anyone. Something she was starting to regret.  
  
She went back to Dawson's room to wait for Pacey, but the second she sat on the bed she heard him cry out in pain. Joey was up and on her way towards the bathroom before she even had time to think about why it was that she cared.  
  
Knocking on the door, she asked, "Are you okay?"  
  
"Fine Jo." Joey knew he was lying. She could hear the pain in his voice.  
  
Without hesitation Joey opened the door. Pacey stood in the center of the bathroom in the jeans she had given him to change into, but he had yet to put on the shirt.  
  
It wasn't hard to figure out why. Fresh bruises covered Pacey's chest and torso. He probably had a few bruised, if not broken, ribs too. Joey walked over to him and pulled the shirt out of his hands.  
  
"Jo - " he started to protest.  
  
"Pacey, just shut up and let me help you." Pacey opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. Instead, he took the time to stare at the woman in front of him.  
  
He hadn't ever really seen Joey act like this before, where she was concerned for his well being. It felt nice to have someone care so much, even if it was Joey. Actually, especially if it was Joey.  
  
Joey hopped up on the counter as she fixed him up, ignoring the way he wiggled his eyebrows at her. At least he was trying to tease her. That was always a good sign. It was when he stopped joking around that there was something wrong.  
  
After she had bandaged up his wounds Joey slipped off the counter and walked out of the room, only to come back seconds later with one of his button-up shirts that had been left a few weeks before.  
  
"Jo, you're a Godsend." Pacey stated, taking the shirt from her and attempting to put it on. However, he was still to sore. Joey, yet again, snatched the shirt back and started to gingerly put it on him.  
  
When she started to button it up for him too, Pacey batted her hand away, saying, "I think I can handle it from here."  
  
She smiled. "Fine, fine." Joey heard her stomach growl. "Pace, are you hungry?"  
  
"Famished. What'd you have in mind?"  
  
"Well, I'm going to go see what the Leery's have in the kitchen. Meet me down there in five." Pacey nodded and Joey slipped out of the bathroom to see what there was for them to eat. 


End file.
